Finding himself in an existential crisis, Andrea decides to join a monastery. The young man embarks upon a novitiate, during which the order will examine whether he is genuinely called to join the order and take his vows. As the priests instruct him in matters of belief, Andrea discovers that there is more to the religious community of priests, monks, novices and retired clergy than silence and prayer. The monastery becomes a universe, in which every look and every sound seems to suggest intrigue, since the novices are asked to point out any weaknesses they are able to detect in the others. To him, his life of prayers, rituals and hours of reading is characterised by constant surveillance and continuous questioning. At the same time, the novices do their best to abandon themselves, and by so doing, find their way to God. Yet, in spite of considerable support from the abbot, Andrea fails this mystic test of his true belief, and decides to put the order behind him. A venture that others have attempted before him...
From the novel "Il gesuita perfetto" by Furio Monicelli.